Soldering iron cage holder



y 1969 J. c. GARRETT ETAL 3,442,477

SOLDERING IRON CAGE HOLDER Filed June 10, 1968 N .J/M c. GAI/IIAEEI7Q7KS 0552 r H. JOHNSON ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,442,477 SDLDERING IRON CAGE HOLDER Jim C. Garrett, Long Beach, and Robert H. Johnson, Marina Del Rey, Calif. (both of 3300 E. Spring St., Long Beach, Calif. 90806) Filed June 10, 1968, Ser. No. 735,644 Int. Cl. 323k 37/00 US. Cl. 248-210 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention In central telephone ofiices, the equipment is usually installed in floor-to-ceiling banks with narrow access aisles spacing the same. Rolling ladders are usually installed in said aisles for use by personnel who test, repair, install, or otherwise perform work on such equipment and require such ladders to reach the more elevated portions of the equipment. Many phases of such work require on-thespot soldering operations.

An object of this invention is to provide simple, novel and improved means for supporting a soldering iron for safe and handy use by a person requiring the use of such a tool, and further providing easy access thereto during all positions of the ladder in such an aisle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a soldering iron cage holder, as characterized above, that is adapted to be mounted directly upon a side rail of a ladder or, alternatively, on a bracket that is so directly mounted, and also adapted to be mounted on either ladder rail for rightand left-hand use.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and servicability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

Summary 0 the invention The present soldering iron cage holder is adapted for mounting on one of the side rails of a rolling ladder or the like and between two of the steps 11 thereof.

The holder assembly is shown as comprising a bracket 12, and a holder 13 that may be connected either to the bracket or directly to the outer face of one of the side rails 10. The drawing, in dot-dash lines, shows a soldering iron cage 14 adapted for separable connection to the top of said holder 13 and an electric current receptacle 15 afiixed to the under face of said holder, thereby positioning the cord connections to the soldering iron under the holder 13.

Brief description of the drawing In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is atop plan view of a soldering iron cage holder according to the invention in one preferred position thereof.

FIG. 2 is a side view with the ladder partly in section, showing the cage holder of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of said holder as seen from the right of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing the cage holder applied to a different part of the ladder than the part shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of said cage holder, the same showing a soldering iron cage in dot-dash lines and as applied to the holder.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the holder in another operative position thereof on a ladder.

Description 0 the preferred embodiment The bracket 12 is shown as an angle member preferably formed of strap metal and having a leg 16 that may be connected to one of the ladder rails, preferably against the inner face thereof, as by carriage bolts 17 applied from the outer side of said rail, and a leg 18 at right angles to the leg 16. The bracket is preferably applied, as best seen in FIG. 2, so the leg .16 is rearwardly spaced from the rearward side of the ladder so as to leave any adjacent step 11 clear to accommodate the feet of a user of the ladder. Also, the bracket is best installed, as shown, so the leg 18 is directed away from the ladder rail 10 on which the bracket is mounted.

The holder 13 is shown as having a rectangular base wall 19 with depending end Walls 20, a front wall 21 that, by bolts 22, is connected to the leg 18 of the bracket 12, and a rear wall 23 with an upper extension above the surface of the base wall 19.

The bracket 12 and holder 13 have an approximate coplanar relationship so the base wall of the latter will have a horizontal disposition when the bracket is connected to the ladder similarly disposed.

The above-described holder I13 constitutes a support for the cage 14, as shown best in FIG. 5. An end wall 24 of said cage has hooking engagement with one end wall 20 and a slide member 25 On the cage has retention engagement with the other end wall, spring means 26 biasing said wall 24 and member 25 toward each other and allowing the manual retraction of said member by a handle 27 so the cage may be readily applied to and removed from the holder. It will be understood that the bit of the soldering iron is introduced from the right into the cage housing 28 and the handle thereof is rested upon a notched stand 29. Depending on a rightor left-hand assembly of the cage 14 on the holder, the handle of the soldering iron will be directed for the most convenience of the user.

It will be clear that the present holder assembly has substantially universal mounting arrangements-to the right and to the left of the ladder rails. The cage, as Well, may be applied to the installed holder, turned right or left as desired, the wall 23 retaining the position thereof. As shown in FIG. 6, the holder 13, by means such as carriage bolts 30, may be directly iafiixed to the outside face of one of the ladder rails.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A soldering iron cage holder adapted for mounting on a ladder, said holder comprising a rectangular member having (a) a base wall on which a soldering iron cage is adapted to be supported,

(b) end walls depending from the ends of the base wall and adapted to be engaged by longitudinally spaced members on the cage to retain the same against endwise displacement relative to said base wall, and

() front and rear walls depending from the front and rear edges of the base Wall,

(d) the rear Wall having an upper extension to engage and retain a cage on the holder against lateral displacement relative to the rear edge of said base wall.

2. A soldering iron cage holder according to claim 1 provided with a bracket connected to said front wall of the holder.

3. A soldering iron cage holder according to claim 2 in which:

(a) said bracket comprises a leg portion that has the mentioned connection with the holder, and a leg portion at right angles to the mentioned portion and adapted for mounting on a side rail of the ladder,

(b) said holder and bracket having an approximate horizontal and coplanar disposition.

4. A soldering iron cage holder according to claim 1 provided with a mounting member for the holder to locate the same rearwardly of a step of the ladder next above said mounting member.

5. A soldering iron cage holder according to claim 4 in which the mounting member comprises a strap metal member formed with a leg connected to the front wall of the holder and a normal mounting leg adapted for engagement with the inner face of a rail of said ladder and for connecting two said rails with a portion of the mounting leg extending rearward of the mentioned step.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,634,937 4/ 1953 Welsh 248-211 2,837,306 6/1958 Elm 248-210 2,911,133 11/1959 Ruggieri 248-210 2,912,205 11/1959 Toune 248-210 3,125,317 3/1964 Law 248-210 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

